{"id":14319,"date":"2025-01-27T16:23:49","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T16:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/01\/27\/elon-musk-calls-for-germany-to-move-beyond-nazi-guilt-at-far-right-rally-national\/"},"modified":"2025-01-27T16:23:49","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T16:23:49","slug":"elon-musk-calls-for-germany-to-move-beyond-nazi-guilt-at-far-right-rally-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/01\/27\/elon-musk-calls-for-germany-to-move-beyond-nazi-guilt-at-far-right-rally-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Elon Musk calls for Germany to \u2018move beyond\u2019 Nazi guilt at far-right rally – National"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Tech billionaire Elon Musk<\/a> made a surprise virtual appearance during Germany\u2019s Alternative for Germany<\/a> (AfD) election campaign event in Halle in eastern Germany on Saturday, as thousands of people gathered to show their support for the far-right party.<\/p>\n

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Addressing a hall of 4,500 people alongside party leader Alice Weidel, Musk spoke about preserving German culture and protecting the German people.<\/p>\n

Musk spoke in support of the far-right party, saying: \u201cI\u2019m very excited for the AfD<\/a>, I think you\u2019re really the best hope for Germany. Something I think that is just very important is that people take pride in Germany and being German. This is very important. It\u2019s OK to be proud to be German. This is a very important principle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,\u201d Musk told onlookers.<\/p>\n

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Last week, Musk caused an uproar after he made a straight-arm, Nazi-like<\/a> gesture during his speech at U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> inauguration.<\/p>\n

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On Saturday, he said, \u201cchildren should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their parents, their great-grandparents,\u201d apparently referring to Germany\u2019s Nazi past.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think there\u2019s frankly too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Musk told the crowd they should be \u201coptimistic\u201d and \u201cexcited\u201d about Germany\u2019s future, adding, \u201cI hope your people unite and strongly support AfD.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go, guys! Let\u2019s go! Fight for a great future for Germany, Go, go, go! Convince your friends. Convince everyone,\u201d Musk said as the crowd clapped and cheered.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think this election coming up in Germany is incredibly important. I think it could decide the entire fate of Europe, maybe the fate of the world,\u201d Musk added. \u201cThat is the significance of this election. That\u2019s why it\u2019s very important to talk to your friends and family and convince them to consider voting for AfD. And then just go with it like a chain reaction. Convince one friend, talk to another friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz\u2019s<\/a> three-party governing coalition collapsed<\/a> in November 2024 in a dispute over how to revitalize the country\u2019s stagnant economy.<\/p>\n

The Tesla CEO, who spoke of suppression of speech under Germany\u2019s government on Saturday, has previously attacked Scholz on X.<\/p>\n

Scholz said last Tuesday that he does not support freedom of speech when it is used for extreme-right views.<\/p>\n